1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to water heaters and a method of heating water More particularly, it related to a gas (or oil) fired water heater wherein the products of combustion flow directly from the heater through an exterior wall to the outside of the space in which the heater is installed and the combustion air flows directly from outside the space in which the water heater is installed through an enclosed passageway to a combustion chamber for the heater.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present water heater, by utilizing combustion air drawn directly from outside and preheating such combustion air, results in increased efficiency. Also, by directing flow of the combustion air in a 360.degree. fashion around the exterior surface of the inner jacket and the inner surface of the outer jacket, pilot outage due to excessive drafts is substantially reduced. Also, such combustion air space surrounding the tank wall provides additional insulation to the water in the tank to thereby reduce standby heat loss. To applicant's knowledge, the above stated advantages are not found in any prior art water heaters.